Thursday, May 11, 2006

ESPN took a few minutes away from covering Barry Bonds' thrilling chase of Babe Ruth's All Time Career Second Place Home Run Record to publish this thorough and interesting Spring Recap of Big Ten football teams.

Below are some notable points from it:

Illinois-The Illini return 20 of 22 starters. Is that a good or bad thing for U of I fans?

Indiana-UConn visits the Hoosiers on September 23. Unfortunately the teams will not be playing basketball.

Iowa-One of the Hawkeyes top receivers is named Herb Grigsby, who must be the only 51-year-old insurance salesman playing Division I college football.

Michigan- My favorite line from the entire report: "However, the attitude of the defense should be noted. The players can't stop talking about how much more intense and physical the practices have become under English, whose motivational tactics seem to have sparked a desire to attack the ball and force more turnovers."

Minnesota-Gary Russell, whose attempt to run out the clock at the end of regulation in last year's Michigan game resulted in a 61-yard dash to set up the winning field goal, is currently in junior college trying to become academically eligible to play in 2006.

Northwestern-I couldn't believe departing LB Tim McGarigle (who was just drafted in the seventh round by the Rams) is the NCAA's all-time leading tackler.

tOSU-My second favorite line from the entire report: "The back seven on defense didn't just get hit hard by graduation and early departures--it got driven into the ground with a sledgehammer. All seven starters--not to mention a pair of starting ends up front -- are gone off what was a dominating unit. Yes, it's Ohio State. Yes, there's plenty of talent waiting in the wings. But nine starters are still nine starters..."

Penn State-Dangerous all-purpose weapon QB? Gone. Top D-Lineman? Gone. Entire defensive backfield? Gone. Chances that the Nittany Lions will come within shouting distance of 7-4? Gone. Should have quit while you were ahead, JoePa.

Purdue-Next to JoePa, Joe Tiller is my best bet to have a sideline and/or press conference meltdown this year.

Wisconsin-New head coach Brett Bielema may need Brigid Mullin to suit up, because it appears the Badgers have some major needs to address.

tOSU's defense probably will be fine this year and very well might be sledgehammer-like in the next few years.

But as the ESPN piece points out--nine starters is nine starters. And these weren't just any starters; most of them were high draft picks. Their replacements may step right in and be dominant. Or, like most inexperienced newcomers, they will have some growing pains and inconsistency.

IC, Thank God the Michigan game is always last. Love that rivalry and I hope both are undefeated this year going in. Both need to overcome hurdles and they will before that last game. I hope Carr is still the same "too conservative until too late" coach he has been.

1) Key a UM fan's car2) Drop "F" bombs whenever tOSU is assailed, even if the comments are defensible3) Burn a couch, roll a car, get real drunk at the local bar4) Make up stupid rhymes like #3, thinking they're cute5) Spit and curse at women over 50 who wear anything indicating that they might not foster an intense hatred for all things UM6) Tell people that all UM graduates are either whores or football players7) When my boss tells me that his wife graduated from UM, ask him what position she played8) Brag about my lineage, even if my family tree has no branches9) Engage in scholarly debates over which is higher: my IQ or the number of teeth I have left10) When women ask to see my "woody", pull out a faded picture of coach Hayes.

The new Buckeye defensive starters may be great, but they are inexperienced.

I suspect that none of them have started a game. Filling in for a few plays--even in big games--will help them adjust, but it will not allow them to match the performances of the highly-experienced, best-in-the-nation-level (based on their draft position) players such as Hawk, Carpenter, and Whitner.

I agree that both Michigan and Ohio State have interesting challenges and opportunities this year (M-new coordinators and overcoming bad 2005 season; tOSU-replacing almost entire defense and living up to high preseason expectations).

The ESPN Spring Recap linked in this post reenforce my belief that the Nov. 18 M-tOSU game in Columbus will determine the Big Ten champion.

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